New Delhi, September 18, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
India cricketer Rinku Singh has revealed that his support for Manchester United began after fellow cricketer Nitish Rana introduced him to football and taught him how to follow the game.
Rinku recently attended his first live football match at Old Trafford, watching the Premier League clash between Manchester United and Manchester City. The experience gave the Indian batter an opportunity to witness the famous rivalry from inside the stadium after previously following football only on television.
“Earlier, I was a United fan, and I still am to some extent because of Nitish Rana bhai. He introduced me to football and showed me how to watch the game. From there, my interest in football grew a bit. And Rana Bhai is a United fan, so I used to spend time with him, and watching him, I became a fan of United,” Rinku told JioStar.
The Manchester derby, however, ended in disappointment for United supporters as Manchester City registered a 1-0 victory at Old Trafford, with Erling Haaland scoring the decisive goal in the second half.
Rinku admitted that despite being a United supporter, he found himself backing City at certain points as the match progressed because of the way the two teams were performing.
“Yes, I found myself supporting City a little bit as the match went on. United weren’t playing that well, while City were looking better at the time,” he said.
For Rinku, though, the experience of watching a match live mattered more than the result. He said being inside Old Trafford gave him a new understanding of the atmosphere and passion surrounding football.
“I consider myself lucky because I got to watch a match between City and United. I was very lucky to be there and watch the match at such a time. It was the first live football match of my life, and it was a completely different feeling altogether,” he said.
Rinku added that the energy inside the stadium was unlike anything he had experienced while watching football on television, particularly the reaction of supporters when a goal was scored or a player produced a special moment.
“I realised what it feels like to watch a football match live in a stadium. I had only watched matches on TV before, so it felt really good to be there. I loved the vibe,” he said.
Rinku also revealed that Marcus Rashford is his favourite player, while praising Bruno Fernandes for his composure and calmness on the pitch.
“I really like Marcus Rashford. I’ve followed him a lot, so he’s my favourite. And when it comes to composure, I think Bruno Fernandes. He stays very calm, plays very calmly, keeps strolling on the pitch, and when the ball arrives, he instantly scores a goal or does whatever is needed on the pitch,” he said.
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